Ontogeny

Chapter 17b

     As Matron Darniss and Mandeville exited the opera house, their tail followed them at a discrete distance. The two Carrow agents paused in the street for a few moments, exchanging pleasantries, playing the role of a courting couple for the benefit of the intelligence officer and anyone else who might be paying attention to them  Then they leaned close for a chaste kiss before waving down a cab.

     “Thank you for another truly wonderful evening,” said Mandeville as the horse drawn carriage came to a halt beside them and the footman opened the door. “Same again, next week?”

     “I look forward to it,” replied Darniss, smiling demurely. “Until then.”

     She got into the cab and the footman closed the door before taking his place on the tailboard. The driver then slapped the reins and the cab clattered off down the road.

     Darniss couldn't resist looking back at the intelligence officer who'd followed her from the palace. It amused her to think that the man had been paid by the state to spend an evening at the opera, and then there were all the other agents being paid to follow all the other members of the palace staff, all of whom, she knew, were entirely innocent of any wrongdoing. This hunt for her must be costing Helberion a tidy sum of money. Money that could have been spent on a few more palace guards, or a few more pieces of artillery for the army. It warmed her heart to think that she was damaging Helberion just by going to the opera, never mind the valuable intelligence she'd passed on over the years.

     It took her a few moments to find him. He should have been waving down another cab to follow her, but instead he was walking along Greentemple Street, away from her. Why would he be going that way? she thought in confusion. That was the way Mandeville had gone...

     She sat up in alarm. The man was following Mandeville! No, no, no! This was wrong! “Stop the cab!” she cried, rapping on the wall with her knuckles. “Driver! Stop at once!”

     The cab did stop, but only so the footman could jump in. He grabbed her by the shoulder as she tried to jump out of the other door and pushed her back into her seat. The cab then moved on, turning into Greymantle street. The wrong way to the main palace entrance, the entrance she was accustomed to using, but the right way if you wanted to use the Beggars entrance; the entrance used by junior staff and the guardsmen. It was also the entrance closest to the damp, stone stairs that led down to the cells.

     “Settle down please, miss,” said the footman. “No sense making a scene, is there?”

     “What is going on? I demand that you release me!”

     The footman reached into a pocket and produced a tin badge. “Sergeant Jugg, miss, of the intelligence services. My associate at the reins is Constable Booth. I'm afraid we know about the letter you left at the orphan house two days ago. You were followed there.” He fixed her with a hard stare. “We know everything.”

     “I've been giving donations to the orphanage for years now, you stupid man. And I leave notes for the orphans if I don't have time to speak to them in person. If you've read them you know there’s nothing treasonous in them.”

     “Code words, miss. The letters contain code words that have meaning for the person that reads them. We picked up the young man who opened the letter, brought him in for questioning. He's told us everything, and the gentleman you just spent the evening with will tell us a good deal more, I'm sure. You'd be wise to be completely honest with us, miss. It'll be easier for you in the long run.”

     They know nothing, she told herself, trying to calm her hammering heart. Her story was plausible. She had indeed been spending time at the orphanage, making donations. Talking to the half formed wretches whose parents had died before they'd become fully human. Leaving encouraging letters for the orphans. These men were fishing. Picking senior members of the palace staff up at random, accusing them. Trying to scare them into a confession. They were lying about the man in the orphanage having confessed. Lying to suspects was a common practice, and she refused to believe it. All she had to do was remain calm.